IADMS Madrid 2001   [back to the Category]

The functional effects of Pilates training on college dancers   [read the french version]

Author :   Robin L. Kish, MS & al.

Friday 2 November 2001
12:30 – 12:40 pm Room 1

The functional effects of Pilates training on college dancers

Robin L. Kish, MS, Janice Gudde Plastino, PhD,California State University, Fullerton, University of California, Irvine; CA, USA

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of Pilates conditioning upon pelvic alignment, stature, abdominal strength and functional adductor and hip flexor flexibility in college dancers. Ten dancers participated in a four-week Pilates-based conditioning program while seven dancers served as controls. The Pilates group improved significantly (p < 0.001) in abdominal strength (M = 114.5° vs. 140.2°), t (9) = -11.81, left leg adductor functional flexibility (M = 24.99 cm vs. 43.4 cm), t (9) = -12.56, right leg adductor functional flexibility (M = 23.25 cm vs. 42.64 cm), t (9) = -10.75, left leg hip flexor functional flexibility (M = 28.1 cm vs. 45.96 cm), t (9) = -9.99, and right leg hip flexor functional flexibility (M = 31.5 cm vs. 46.73 cm), t (9) = -9.03, and similarly degree of pelvic tilt (M = 9.8° vs. 7.4°), t (9) = 4.81. The one-way ANOVA and independent t-tests revealed significantly greater improvement in the Pilates group on these same variables, except for the pelvic tilt, which was not analyzed. Stature was not significantly different between the two groups, or between pretest and posttest. It was concluded that the Pilates Method improves the alignment of dancers and increases functional flexibility of the adductors and hip flexors.